In some editors it is possible to “back out” and “re-instate” changes made to a document. For example, in MICROSOFT WORD, a user can use an “undo” and “redo” function available from the standard toolbar to “undo” a change that was previously made or “redo” a change that was previously undone. This function can be performed multiple times. In other words, activating “undo” four times will undo the last four changes made to a document. Subsequently activating “redo” three times will redo three of those last four changes, effectively resulting in the same effect as activating “undo” once.
When performing certain types of tasks, such as performing certain types of programming projects using certain editors, the editor may open several documents. When a user edits or changes one document, changes are made to the other document or documents automatically to reflect the changes the user made to the first document. Typically, however, the undo/redo function does not extend across multiple documents. Hence problems may arise when, for example, an element is deleted from a document and then the delete function is undone. The element may be deleted in the first document and then be reinstated to its original condition (by the undo) but the corresponding changes to the related document may not be made, so that the related document is not properly reinstated to its original condition.
For example, in an active server page (ASP) file declarative tags (HTML, ASP directives, server controls and static text, and the user interface (UI) part) are combined with the code. In certain environments, the code either can be stored on the same page as the tags or on a separate page known herein as the Code-Behind page. When an element such as a control is deleted in the UI component, associated elements such as the declaration, events and properties of the control are deleted from the code file. Problems arise, however, for example, when the delete is undone. When the delete is undone, the declaration, properties and events should be reapplied to the related Code-Behind file, however, heretofore, no known method has been available to apply the undo (or undo/redo, etc.) to the related document because the undo/redo function has been confined to a single document. Hence it would be helpful if an undo/redo function could support undo/redo changes across multiple documents.